Women and universities in &lt;em&gt;El País&lt;/em&gt; (1977-2011): A methodological proposal for use of the ITCS for historical analysis

Carlos G Figuerola,Francisco J Rodríguez,Tamar Groves

doi:10.3989/chdj.2019.009

Women and universities in <em>El País</em> (1977-2011): A methodological proposal for use of the ITCS for historical analysis

Carlos G Figuerola, Francisco J Rodríguez + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3989/chdj.2019.009

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Abstract

The practice of historical research in recent years has been substantially affected by the emergence of the so-called digital humanities. New computer tools have been appearing, software systems capable of processing vast quantities of information in ways that until recently were inconceivable. Text mining and social network analysis techniques are sophisticated instruments that can help render a more enriching reading of the available data and draw useful conclusions. We reflect on this in the first part of this article, and then apply these tools to a practical case: quantifying and identifying the women who appear in university-related articles in the newspaper El País from its founding until 2011.

Highlights

RESUMEN: Mujeres y universidad en El País (1977-2011): Una propuesta metodológica para para el uso de las TIC en el análisis histórico.- La práctica de la investigación histórica, en los años recientes, ha sido sustancialmente afectada por la aparición de las llamadas humanidades digitales
We detected the presence of 80,253 women in a total of 133,738 news items related to Spain’s universities in the pages of El País. In those figures we have identified 35,996 different women
As we noted in the introduction, we are working in a field, that of the digital humanities, that is very much a work in progress with software in constant evolution, so it would be risky to assert any definitive conclusions

Summary

Introduction

RESUMEN: Mujeres y universidad en El País (1977-2011): Una propuesta metodológica para para el uso de las TIC en el análisis histórico.- La práctica de la investigación histórica, en los años recientes, ha sido sustancialmente afectada por la aparición de las llamadas humanidades digitales. New ways of teaching, dissemination of research, and the strengthening of links between academic communities have been facilitated by the internet (Bresciano, 2013: 45-52). Such innovations are part of a broader phenomenon known as digital humanities (DH). An important feature of this area is its interdisciplinary nature, which often leads to collaboration of researchers in humanities and social sciences with experts in computing and information technology Such collaboration must be preceded, logically, by a rigorous process of reflection and definition. There are still many questions in the air: What kind of history will we write based on the new available sources? (Eiroa, 2011: 29). Can the millions of emails that cross cyberspace every day ever be collected and studied?4 Will we witness an “analogical desertification,” or will the migration to the digital world be progressive? (Rodríguez de las Heras, 2014) And how can one confront, and winnow down, the huge overabundance of information?

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